Hearing aid using wireless test modes as diagnostic tool

ABSTRACT

Various system embodiments comprise a plurality of devices configured to wirelessly communicate with each other. The plurality of devices includes a battery-operated hearing aid configured to communicate with another device using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless communication technology. A BLE tester is configured to test the hearing aid for the performance of BLE wireless communication via a wireless link. One embodiment uses a wireless test mode as a diagnostic tool for analyzing the wireless communication environment, such as when the communication with the hearing aid is interfered in a noisy environment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/843,725, filed Mar. 15, 2013, which is related to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/552,513, entitled “SYSTEMS AND METHODSFOR MANAGING WIRELESS COMMUNICATION LINKS FOR HEARING ASSISTANCEDEVICES”, filed Sep. 2, 2009, which claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/094,021, filedSep. 3, 2008, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/842,725 is also related to U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/438,52, entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS TODISPLAY INTERFERENCE FOR A WIRELESS HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICEPROGRAMMER”, filed on even date herewith, and U.S. Patent ApplicationSer. No. 61/801,152, entitled “WIRELESS ENVIRONMENT INTERFERENCEDIAGNOSTIC HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE SYSTEM”, filed on even dateherewith, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates generally to wireless networks and, moreparticularly, to systems, devices and methods for managing wirelesscommunication links for hearing assistance devices including those usingBluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication technology.

BACKGROUND

Radio waves are electromagnetic waves that can be used in wirelesscommunication. The frequencies of these waves serve as physicalcommunication channels. The radio frequency (RF) spectrum has a finiterange of frequencies, and thus a limited number of channels. In theUnited States, for example, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)decides how the spectrum is allocated and what bands are used for whatpurpose.

Communication signals on the same channel interfere, assuming thestrengths of the signals are non-negligible due to transmission powerand distance. Also, communication signals on adjacent channels mayinterfere with communications on the desired channel because ofinadequate filtering, tuning or frequency control. Adjacent channelinterference can increase with an increase in signal power in adjacentchannels.

Most countries of the world have allocated certain frequency spectrumsfor commercial use as “unlicensed” wireless bands. For example, the FCChas designated license-free bandwidth segments for industrial,scientific and medical (ISM) uses. Various commercial applications usethis unlicensed bandwidth for short range wireless communication.

Channels are not allocated within the license-free band. Commercialdevices designed to operate in the license-free band are constrained totransmit using a relatively low power, which allows more commercialdevices to use the unlicensed frequency bands by increasing the reuse ofa frequency. Spread spectrum systems mitigate interference by spreadingtheir information over a much larger bandwidth than the informationrequires. This has the advantage of spreading any narrowbandinterference encountered within the channel over a large bandwidth whichcan then be integrated out by the receiver. The transmitter and receivercoordinate and manage the spreading sequences. This adds complexity andpower to spread the signal using either fast frequency hopping or directsequence phase manipulation. This added complexity and power may preventthese schemes from being used in ultra-low power communications systems.

SUMMARY

Various system embodiments comprise a plurality of devices configured towirelessly communicate with each other. The plurality of devicesincludes a battery-operated hearing aid configured to communicate withanother device using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless communicationtechnology. A BLE tester is configured to test the hearing aid for theperformance of BLE wireless communication via a wireless link. Oneembodiment uses a wireless test mode as a diagnostic tool for analyzingthe wireless communication environment, such as when the communicationwith the hearing aid is interfered in a noisy environment.

In one embodiment, a system for managing wireless communication includesa first device and a second device. The first device includes a BLEwireless communication circuit configured to receive and transmit datausing BLE wireless communication technology. The second device includesa BLE tester configured to wirelessly communicate with the first deviceand test the BLE wireless communication circuit according to a wirelesstest mode in response to a test command associated with the wirelesstest mode. The second device includes an analysis initiator configuredto generate the test command in response to a signal requesting adiagnostic analysis of an environment of the wireless communication. Inone embodiment, at least one of the first device and the second deviceis a hearing aid.

In one embodiment, a method for wirelessly communicating with a hearingaid includes performing wireless communication with the hearing aidusing BLE wireless communication technology and performing a diagnosticanalysis of an environment of the wireless communication. Theperformance of the diagnostic analysis includes establishing a wirelesslink between the hearing aid and a BLE tester, testing the hearing aidfor quality of data transmission associated with the wireless linkaccording to a specified wireless test mode, and producing informationindicative of one or more characteristics of the environment of thewireless communication.

This Summary is an overview of some of the teachings of the presentapplication and not intended to be an exclusive or exhaustive treatmentof the present subject matter. Further details about the present subjectmatter are found in the detailed description and appended claims. Thescope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims andtheir legal equivalents.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1D illustrate a wireless link between various embodiments of ahearing assistance device and a communicator.

FIG. 2A-2E illustrate a communicator operably connected to differentdevices, according to various embodiments.

FIGS. 3A-3E illustrate a communicator integrated within differentdevices, according to various embodiments.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a wireless system with a wirelessaudio controller (WAC) and at least one hearing assistance device.

FIG. 5 illustrates various wireless communication environment(s) with ahearing aid device, according to various embodiments of the presentsubject matter.

FIG. 6 illustrates a wireless communication network within amulti-office environment with multiple programmers and hearing aids.

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a hearing aid embodiment.

FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of the communicator, such as aprogrammer.

FIG. 9 illustrates a wireless communication system embodiment.

FIGS. 10A-10B illustrate device embodiments with primary and secondaryreceivers.

FIGS. 11-13 illustrate embodiments of methods for managing wirelesscommunication links.

FIG. 14 illustrates a state diagram of an embodiment of a processperformed by a station to maintain link quality.

FIG. 15 illustrates a block diagram of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) deviceembodiment.

FIG. 16 illustrates a block diagram of BLE hearing aid embodiment.

FIG. 17 illustrates a block diagram of BLE device embodiment including aBLE tester.

FIG. 18 illustrates an embodiment of a method for managing a BLEwireless communication link.

FIG. 19 illustrates an embodiment of a method for performing adiagnostic analysis of a BLE wireless communication link.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description of the present subject matter refersto subject matter in the accompanying drawings which show, by way ofillustration, specific aspects and embodiments in which the presentsubject matter may be practiced. These embodiments are described insufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice thepresent subject matter. References to “an”, “one”, or “various”embodiments in this disclosure are not necessarily to the sameembodiment, and such references contemplate more than one embodiment.The following detailed description is demonstrative and not to be takenin a limiting sense. The scope of the present subject matter is definedby the appended claims, along with the full scope of legal equivalentsto which such claims are entitled.

FIGS. 1A-1D illustrate a wireless link between various embodiments of ahearing assistance device and a communicator. FIG. 1A illustrates awireless communication link 100A between the hearing assistance device101A and the communicator 102A. The communication link is used tocommunicate information. Examples of information include audio data orother data, commands, and programming instructions. In RF communication,the communication link uses a transmission frequency to establish thelink in a communication channel. Examples of hearing assistance devicesinclude both prescription devices and non-prescription devices. Examplesof hearing assistance devices include hearing aids, headphones, assistedlistening devices, earbuds, and the like. The communicator represents adevice that communicates information to the hearing assistance deviceover the wireless communication link.

FIG. 1B illustrates the system of FIG. 1A, where the communicatorincludes a link quality management device. As will be described below,the link quality management device 103B assesses the quality of thecommunication link 100B, and controls the adjustments to thecommunication over the link. Some embodiments, the communicationadjustments are made by the communicator 102B. Some embodiments send acommand from the communicator 102B to the hearing assistance device 101Binstructing the hearing assistance device to take an action in an effortto improve the quality of the wireless communication link. In someembodiments, when it is determined that an action should be taken toadjust communication and improve the link quality, the communicatormakes an adjustment and sends a command to the hearing assistance deviceinstructing the hearing assistance device to take an action to adjustcommunication and improve the link quality.

FIG. 1C illustrates the system of FIG. 1A, where the hearing assistancedevice includes a link quality management device. As will be describedbelow, the link quality management device 104C assesses the quality ofthe communication link 100C, and controls the adjustments to thecommunication over the link. Some embodiments, the communicationadjustments are made by the hearing assistance device 101C. Someembodiments send a command from the hearing assistance device 101C tothe communicator 102C instructing the communicator to take an action inan effort to improve the quality of the wireless communication link. Insome embodiments, when it is determined that an action should be takento improve the link quality, the hearing assistance device makes anadjustment and sends a command to the communicator instructing thecommunicator to take an action to adjust communication and improve thelink quality. In some embodiments, the hearing assistance device sendscommunications statistics such as CRC errors, SNR levels, FECstatistics, etc. to the host communications device so that it can takeaction to improve the link quality.

FIG. 1D illustrates the system of FIG. 1A, where both the hearingassistance device and the communicator include a link quality managementdevice. As will be described below, the link quality management devices103D and 104D assesses the quality of the communication link 100D, andcontrols the adjustments to the communication over the link. Accordingto various embodiments, both link quality management devices monitor thelink quality the same way, or the link quality management devicesmonitor different aspects of the link quality (e.g. distribute the linkquality assessment). In some embodiments, only one of the devicesoperates its link quality management device to monitor link quality. Thechoice between the devices 103D and 104D can be made duringcommunication initialization or can be preprogrammed. According tovarious embodiments, when it is determined that an action should betaken to improve the link quality, one or both of the devices 101D and102D take an action to adjust communication and improve the linkquality.

FIG. 2A-2E illustrate a communicator operably connected to differentdevices, according to various embodiments. The illustrated communicator202 is a device configured to be connected to another device as aperipheral device. For example, the device and the peripheralcommunicator can be connected via Wireless communication such asBluetooth or WiFi or wired technology such as USB or firewire. Theperipheral communicator can be connected to a variety of devices, suchas to a programmer as illustrated in FIG. 2A, a hearing assistancedevice as illustrated in FIG. 2B, an assisted listening device asillustrated in FIG. 2C, a streaming audio device as illustrated in FIG.2D, and a wireless audio controller (WAC) as illustrated in FIG. 2E.

FIGS. 3A-3E illustrate a communicator integrated within differentdevices, according to various embodiments. The illustrated communicator302 is a device configured to be integrated with or built within anotherdevice as a peripheral device. For example, the communicator can be anexpansion card connected within a computer chassis. The communicator canbe integrated with or built within a variety of devices, such as to aprogrammer as illustrated in FIG. 3A, a hearing assistance device asillustrated in FIG. 3B, an assisted listening device as illustrated inFIG. 3C, a streaming audio device as illustrated in FIG. 3D, and awireless audio controller (WAC) as illustrated in FIG. 3E.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment of a wireless system with a wirelessaudio controller (WAC) and at least one hearing assistance device. US2006/0274747, entitled: COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR WIRELESS DEVICES, andU.S. Ser. No. 11/619,541, entitled: WIRELESS SYSTEM FOR HEARINGCOMMUNICATION DEVICE PROVIDING WIRELESS STEREO RECEPTION MODES, both ofwhich are incorporated herein in their entirety, and include examples ofWACs. The illustrated WAC 405 includes an I/O port 406 to a network 407(e.g., Internet, LAN, WAN, WILAN, Bluetooth, Cellular, etc.) throughwhich data (e.g., compressed audio data) is communicated to the WAC. Theillustrated WAC also includes at least one I/O port configured for useto wirelessly communicate with at least one hearing assistance device.The illustrated WAC embodiment includes two I/O ports 408 and 409configured to be used to communicate with a hearing assistance device.For example, a first port can communicate a left channel and a secondport can communicate a right channel to provide a wearer of the hearingaid devices with a stereo sound. If the link quality of one of thechannels is determined to be undesirably low, the illustrated WAC isable to send the same signal to both hearing assistance devices. Thissignal can represent a monophonic signal to be presented to both of thehearing assistance devices, or can represent one channel of astereophonic signal to be presented to both of the hearing assistancedevices. The connection between the WAC 406 and the network 407 can bewireless, wired, or a hybrid of wired and wireless. Wirelesscommunications can include standard or nonstandard communications. Someexamples of standard wireless communications include link protocolsincluding, but not limited to, Bluetooth™, IEEE 802.11 (wireless LANs),802.15 (WPANs), 802.16 (WiMAX), 802.20 mobile wireless, cellularprotocols including, but not limited to CDMA and GSM, ZigBee, andultra-wideband (UWB) technologies. Such protocols support radiofrequency communications and some support infrared communications. It ispossible that other forms of wireless communications can be used such asultrasonic, optical, and others. It is understood that the standardswhich can be used include past and present standards. It is alsocontemplated that future versions of these standards and new futurestandards may be employed without departing from the scope of thepresent subject matter. Wired communications include, but are notlimited to, one or more mono or stereo connections or digitalconnections having link protocols including, but not limited to IEEE802.3 (Ethernet), 802.4, 802.5, USB, ATM, Fibre-channel, Firewire or1394, InfiniBand, or a native streaming interface. Such connectionsinclude all past and present link protocols. It is also contemplatedthat future versions of these protocols and new future standards may beemployed without departing from the scope of the present subject matter.

FIG. 5 illustrates various wireless communication environment(s) with ahearing aid device, according to various embodiments of the presentsubject matter. The illustrated hearing aid device 510 is an in-the-earhearing aid that is positioned completely in the ear canal 511. Thepresent subject matter is not so limited, however. In addition to theillustrated in-the-ear style, the features of the present subject mattercan be used in other styles of hearing assistance devices, includinghalf-shell, in-the-canal, behind-the-ear, over-the-ear, eyeglass mount,implants, and body worn hearing aids, and further can be used innoise-protection earphones, headphones, and the like.

Referring again to FIG. 5, a wireless communication system in thehearing aid is configured to communicate with one or more devices. Invarious embodiments, the hearing aid uses RF wireless communication tocommunicate with an external programmer 512. The programmer is able toadjust the hearing aid settings such as mode, volume and the like, todownload a complete hearing aid program, and to receive data from thehearing aid for data logging, diagnostics, reporting and the like. Invarious embodiments, the hearing aid wirelessly communicates with anassisted listening system 513 to receive an audio signal, or a device514 that provides encoded and compressed audio, or a remote controldevice 515, or another hearing aid 516, or various combinations thereof.

One challenging environment for hearing aid wireless communicationinvolves a multi-office environment where several programmers may bewithin range of one another and attempt to discover nodes (e.g., hearingaids) simultaneously. In addition many nodes may be within range of eachprogrammer. Furthermore, the multi-office environment may include otherwireless services and/or otherwise devices that emit electromagneticradiation that may adversely affect the desired wireless communication.

FIG. 6 illustrates a wireless communication network within amulti-office environment with multiple programmers and hearing aids. Anyof the programmers 612 are capable of discovering and communicating withhearing aids 610. Further, the programmers 612 can be wirelesslynetworked together, such as illustrated by the wireless network 617.Additionally, some hearing aids (e.g. left/right hearing aids for apatient) can be designed to wireless communicate with each other inaddition to the programmers 612 or other communicators.

Some hearing aid embodiments incorporate a scanning feature to reducethe probability of interference. The probability that interference is onmultiple channels simultaneously is significantly less, since theconditional probabilities for independent events are multiplied togetherfor the overall probability that both channels will simultaneouslyexperience interference. Interference can increase the duty cycle of thereceiver since the detection of energy on a channel above a ReceiveSignal Strength Indicator (RSSI) threshold causes the receiver to stayawake. Thus, interference can adversely impact the battery life of thehearing aid. Some embodiments use a wake timer that, if the receiver isawake longer than the sleep cycle without receiving a valid packet,causes the receiver to go into a deep sleep mode with a longer sleepcycle until the interference goes away.

A system, such as the one illustrated in FIG. 6, performs a process todiscover the nodes in operational proximity. Any number of channels canbe assigned as discovery channels. The use of two or more discoverychannels considerably increases the odds of successful links incomparison to a single discovery channel as the single channel mayalready be in use. These channels are reserved for node discovery ofhearing aids by programmers. Programmers pick a desirable discoverychannel based on a link quality assessment (LQA). Hearing aids scan thediscovery channel frequencies prior to establishing a programming link.During discovery, programmers ping for nodes using a broadcast discoverymessage that is sent out at random intervals. The node is registeredwith the programmer if an acknowledgement is received by the programmer.Hearing aids register with all programmers in discovery mode withinrange of the hearing aid, and associate with programmers after beingdiscovered and selected via the programmer's user interface. Once nodesare discovered, the user is notified using the user display of thehearing aids that are within range. The user then can select the nodeswith which to establish a link.

Various programmer embodiments use a LQA table which is updated byscanning each available channel and is used by the programmer todetermine a desirable channel, on which to establish a wirelesscommunication session, among the available channels. The programmersends a frequency change message to each hearing instrument. Thismessage is acknowledged by the hearing aid. Normal data transfer to andfrom the hearing instrument can begin once the link has been establishedon the desired channel. Some programmer embodiments perform intermittent(e.g., periodic) maintenance throughout the wireless communicationsession. In some embodiments, the host communications device sends amaintenance message that contains the next available channel in case thelink is lost due to interference as well as a transmit power controlword. The channel maintenance response from the hearing instrumentcontains several communications metrics such as the number of successfulpackets received since the last maintenance response and the number ofpackets containing errors. This information is used by the programmer todetermine the downlink quality and the uplink quality. The programmer isable to determine the downlink quality by comparing the number of noacknowledgments with the number of messages received by the hearinginstrument. In addition to statistics collected during maintenance, someprogrammer embodiments monitor the RSSI of the nodes on each packetreceived. Some embodiments maintain this signal strength as a movingaverage in time. The signal strength can be used to adjust the powercontrol of the uplink signal from the nodes. Adjustments can be madeduring maintenance messages. The links can operate on the fringe of linkmargin. However, if there is sufficient link margin, various embodimentsallow for upstream power reduction (transmission from remotenodes/hearing aids to the host communications device) to save power inthe remote nodes. As is discussed below, there are a number of ways toassess the link quality of RF communication links and a number of waysto adjust the RF communication based on the assessed link quality.

FIG. 7 illustrates a block diagram of a hearing aid embodiment. Theillustrated hearing aid 710 includes a microphone system 718, a signalprocessing circuit 719 which may be incorporated as part of acontroller, and a speaker 720 referred to as a hearing aid receiver. Themicrophone system 718 transforms the acoustic energy 721 of sound froman acoustic source 722 into a signal representative of the sound. Thesignal processing circuit 719 receives the signal from the microphonesystem 718, and is designed (e.g., programmed) to appropriately adjustthe signal to compensate for the hearing impairment of the wearer of thehearing aid. The signal processing circuit 719 outputs a processedsignal to the hearing aid receiver 720, which converts the processedelectrical signal into a sound perceived by the wearer. The illustratedhearing aid embodiment also includes a wireless communication circuit723 configured to transmit and/or receive wireless signals. The wirelesscommunication circuit may include a receiver, a transmitter, or atransceiver. The signal processing circuit 719 (or controller) controlsthe wireless communication circuit 723 to control the wirelesscommunication with other devices.

FIG. 8 illustrates a block diagram of the host wireless communicator,such as a programmer. The illustrated communicator includes a controller824 and a wireless communication circuit 825 configured to transmitand/or receive wireless signals. The wireless communication circuit mayinclude a receiver, a transmitter, or a transceiver. The controller 824controls the wireless communication circuit 825 to control the wirelesscommunication with other devices. The station can include otherelements, such as various input/output devices like a display monitor,keyboard and mouse.

FIG. 9 illustrates a wireless communication system embodiment. Theillustrated system includes a number of devices configured to wirelesslycommunicate with at least one other device in the system. The devices inthe system illustrated in FIG. 9 include a host communicator such asillustrated in FIG. 8, and further include first 910R and second 910Lhearing aids, such as illustrated in FIG. 7 and as may be simultaneouslyworn to assist hearing in a person's right and left ears. As illustratedby the dotted lines in FIG. 9, the communicator is configured towireless communicate with both hearing aids, the first hearing aid isconfigured to wirelessly communicate with the second hearing aid and thecommunicator, and the second hearing aid is configured to wirelesslycommunicate with the first hearing aid and the communicator. Thecommunication signals may include data and/or audio. Examples of datainclude programming instructions, device diagnostics, and link qualityinformation. Examples of audio include digital audio or compresseddigital audio.

FIGS. 10A-10B illustrate device embodiments with primary and secondaryreceivers. FIG. 10A illustrates a device embodiment with an antenna1026, and a primary receiver 1027 and a secondary receiver 1028connected to the antenna. The antenna can include spatially-diverseantennas, an antenna with diverse polarities, or spatially-diverseantennas with diverse polarities. The primary receiver 1027 receives adata communication using the antenna, and the secondary receiver 1028scans other possible communication channels to assess the link qualityof these other channels in anticipating of switching the channel used bythe primary receiver. In the illustrated embodiment, the secondaryreceiver 1028 provides a list of next best channels, and provides theprimary receiver with the next best alternate channel. The primaryreceiver 1027 receives the data communication through a channel,monitors channel metrics indicative of channel quality for the channelused to receive the data. Examples of channel metrics include bit errorrate (BER), packet error rate (PER), cyclic redundancy check (CRC)errors, forward error correction (FEC) errors, signal to noise ratio(SNR), and the number of retransmissions.

FIG. 10B provides a more detailed illustration of a device embodimentwith an antenna 1026, and primary and secondary receivers. Theillustrated antenna 1026 is a spatially diverse antenna and/or hasdiverse polarities. A received signal passes through a low noiseamplifier (LNA) 1029, and then passes to both a primary and a secondaryreceiver.

The primary receiver includes a local oscillator (LO) 1030 which isprogrammed to oscillate at a frequency necessary for communications. Amixer 1031 multiplies the signal from the LNA with the signal from theLO 1030, and outputs the resulting modulated signal to a bandpass filter1032. A demodulator 1033 demodulates the modulated signal to provide thedata from the signal to a gate 1034 and to a correlator 1035. Themodulated signal is also presented to a Receive Signal StrengthIndicator (RSSI) module 1036 that compares the strength of the receivedsignal to a threshold and outputs the signal level to the correlator1035. The correlator controls the timing of the received signal leveland the received data to allow the data to pass through the gate whenthe signal level is above the RSSI threshold and when a correlation wordis received. A multiplexer 1037 outputs a data signal level when data isreceived (Y=1) and outputs a noise signal level when data is notreceived (Y=0), which are used to determine a signal to noise ratio(SNR). The SNR can be used to change the diverse antenna. For example,an antenna currently being used can be exchanged for a spatially-diverseantenna and/or a polarity of an antenna can be changed. The SNRmeasurement can be used to switch to an alternate channel. If the SNR isless than a threshold, the next best alternate channel is used for thedata transmission. The data passed through the gate can be presented toan error rate detector 1038 which can determine the error rate on a bitor packet basis, and can be presented to a module 1039 to extractchannel maintenance messages embedded in the data. Examples of channelmaintenance messages include the number of good received packets, thenumber of CRC errors, the number of FEC errors, and the number ofretransmissions sent by a node. This information can also be used todetermine when to change the diverse antenna and/or change channels.

The secondary receiver includes a scanning local oscillator (LO) 1040that scans frequencies corresponding to available channels. A mixer 1041multiplies the signal from the LNA with the signal from the scanning LO1040, and outputs the resulting modulated signal to a bandpass filter1042. A Receive Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) module 1043 measuresthe strength of the received signal and outputs the signal level toquality measurement module 1044 configured to monitor the quality ofpotential communication channels based on noise levels. An LQA rankingmodule 1045 ranks the available channels based on their link quality(e.g., channels with lower noise rank higher than channels with highernoise). A table 1046 is used to store entries with frequencies ofavailable channels, along with a quality rank for each entry. The tablecan be used to provide the highest ranking channel as the next availablechannel to replace the current working communication frequency in theprimary receiver. The channel quality metric is formed using both a peakdetector and an RMS detector.

FIG. 11 illustrates a method for managing wireless communication linksaccording to various embodiments of the present subject matter. The linkquality of a wireless communication link is assessed at 1147, and thewireless communication is adjusted at 1148 based on the assessed linkquality.

FIG. 12 illustrates a method for managing wireless communication linksaccording to various embodiments of the present subject matter. A firstlink quality metric is determined at 1249; and at 1250, communication isadjusted based on the first link quality metric. A second link qualitymetric is determined at 1251; and at 1252, communication is adjustedbased on the second link quality metric. Some embodiments continue thisdetermination and adjustment to an nth time, such that an nth linkquality metric is determined at 1253; and at 1254, communication isadjusted based on the nth link quality metric. The determination of alink quality metric (e.g. 1249, 1251, or 1253) can be based on anassessment of one or more aspects of the communication link, and theassessment(s) of the aspect(s) of the communication link can beperformed simultaneously or according to various sequences. By way ofexample, and not limitation, an embodiment determines a first linkquality metric by assessing the signal strength on the channel, a secondlink quality metric by assessing a signal to noise ratio, and a thirdlink quality metric by assessing the combination of signal to noiseratio, error rate, and a number of retransmissions being required forsending a packet.

FIG. 13 illustrates a method for managing wireless communication linksaccording to various embodiments of the present subject matter. The linkquality of a wireless communication link is assessed at 1347, and thewireless communication is adjusted at 1348 based on the assessed linkquality. According to various embodiments, the link quality of awireless communication link is assessed using a signal to noise ratiofor a link 1355, a bit error rate for the link 1356, a number ofretransmissions for a link over a period of time 1357, or variouscombinations thereof. The figure illustrates some examples of ways toassess the current communication channel's link quality. Any one or anycombination of assessments may be performed simultaneously or in varioussequences to provide a link quality assessment. LQA is discussed infurther detail below. According to various embodiments, adjustingwireless communication includes adjusting transmission power 1358,adjusting a symbol rate of transmission 1359, adjusting a Receive SignalStrength Indicator (RSSI) threshold 1360, adjusting a packet length1361, adjusting selection of a diverse antenna 1362 (e.g.spatially-diverse and/or diverse in polarity), adjusting a transmissionfrequency (channel hopping) 1363, and adjusting receiver gain based onRF environment detected across all or a subset of available channels1364. It is understood that in various embodiments, adjustments may bedone outside of during channel maintenance times. For example, invarious embodiments a channel change may be performed when a packet isnot acknowledged for a number of retries, which may be performed outsideof a maintenance interval. Other adjustments are possible and thoseprovided herein are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting.

Link Quality Assessment (LQA)

Battery-powered remote devices that function as hearing assistancedevices (e.g., hearing aids) transmit with limited power, such that, asseen by the receiver of the transmission (e.g., communicator or otherhearing aids), the transmission is near the noise floor of the occupiedchannel. Communication with low power devices, having little poweravailable for transmit, will have minimal link margin. A high datathroughput can be achieved using a low power RF link when the link is ofgood quality. However, multi-path fading, interference, body and headshadowing, and increased range potentially impair the link.

An assessment of link quality for a wireless communication channel canbe made by assessing noise in the channel, or signal strength in thechannel, or a signal to noise ratio for the channel, or a bit errorrate, or a packet error rate, or the number of retransmissions, orvarious combinations thereof.

Wireless Communication Adjustments Based on LQA

The present subject matter uses LQA information, also referred to hereinas channel metrics, for wireless communication channels to manage andmake adjustments to the wireless communication.

Power

Various embodiments of a wireless communication system with hearing aidnodes use variable power levels for the transceiver based on channelquality metrics. Some embodiments use link quality metrics to controltransmit RF power of devices using the link for communicating to, fromor between hearing aids. Some embodiments use link quality metrics tocontrol receiver input power consumption (e.g., receiver gain vs.linearity) for devices communicating to, from, or between hearing aids.Some embodiments automatically control gain of the receiver based on theRF environment (see, for example, US 2007/0110193 entitled AutomaticGain Control With Out Of Band Blocking Signal Compensation, which isincorporated by reference in its entirety).

A decision metric is used to change power levels used on a wirelesscommunications channel. Various embodiments employ adaptive transmit andreceive power levels based on several channel metrics to improve powerconsumption and the link margin of the overall system. At any timeduring the communication session, the system may change transmit powerlevels or reduce the receiver power based on channel metrics used toassess link quality.

If the link from a station to a hearing aid (downstream link) is good,the station can lower its output power based on downstream link qualitymetrics in order to reduce its power consumption and potentialinterference with other such devices within range. The hearing aid maydecide to lower its receiver gain and or linearity to conserve powerwhen the downlink from the station is above an acceptable level ofperformance. If the link from the hearing aid to the station is good,the station may command the hearing aid to lower its transmission outputpower to improve the overall battery life of the hearing aid. If thelink is poor, power may be increased to the extent permitted by powerconstraints for the device and system design to improve link margin.

If it is determined that the channel has a poor link quality, variousembodiments increase RF power to maintain the link while maintaining theoverall information throughput, various embodiments reduce the gain andlinearity of the hearing aid's receiver to reduce the overall powerconsumption of the hearing aid when the link is of sufficient quality towarrant a reduction in receive performance.

Symbol Transmission Rates

Various embodiments of a wireless communication system with hearing aidnodes use various symbol rates based on channel quality metrics. Adecision metric is used to change symbol rates a wireless communicationschannel employed for use with a hearing communication device. Variousembodiments employ lower/higher symbol rates based on one or morechannel metrics to improve the link margin of the overall system. At anytime during a communication session, the system may change symbol ratesbased on channel metrics used to assess link quality.

Several methods for changing the symbol rate may be employed. Forexample, some embodiments employ a binary set of frequency shift key(FSK) symbols that alternate at the symbol rate. These symbols whichcontrol the symbol rate can be contained in the preamble, the sync word,or the message body. The receiver can then adapt its data recovery andpre and post detection filtering based on the symbol rate of thepreamble, the sync word or the message body. If it is determined thatthe channel has a poor link quality, various embodiments reduce thesymbol rate to maintain the link while lowering the overall throughput.If the channel's link quality is good or has improved, the symbol ratewill increase to the extent permitted for the link quality.

Receive Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) Threshold

A packet receive state machine in a receiver uses a RSSI threshold todetermine the start of a packet transmission. Various embodiments of awireless communication system with hearing aid nodes use an adaptiveRSSI threshold. A decision metric is used to change the RSSI thresholdon the packet receive state machine used on a wireless communicationschannel employed for use with a hearing communication device. Thereceiver state machine employs an RSSI threshold detector, a carrierrecovery circuit, a timing recovery circuit, and a sync word correlatorto determine the start of a packet reception.

Because the power-limited hearing aid transmits near the noise floor,the receiver (e.g., station) sets the RSSI threshold very close to thenoise floor of the receiver but sufficiently high to avoid falsedetection on noise. If the receiver falsely identifies noise as acommunication signal, the noise starts the receiver state machine whichmay make incorrect decisions on carrier and timing recovery (falsedetects) which will then prevent the actual packet from being optimallydecoded by the receiver. These false detects can be avoided by settingthe RSSI threshold appropriately above the noise floor of the receiver.

Since the system uses an unlicensed band, various sources ofinterference may appear from time to time on the channel of interest.These interferers cause the noise floor of the channel to vary withtime. To account for this, various embodiments use an adaptive RSSIthreshold to increase link margin (if available) in receiving a packetfrom a low powered remote hearing instrument. Various embodiments adjustthis threshold more or less continuously and set the threshold duringperiods of non-packet activity on the channel, usually prior to or justafter a packet is received. Some embodiments measure RSSI on a perpacket basis and set the threshold as high as practical based on thequality of the link using RSSI values attained during and between packetreceptions.

If at any time during the session, the system may change the RSSIthreshold based on based on channel metrics used to assess link quality.In addition to determining if the error rate falls below an acceptablelevel or the number of transmissions rises above an acceptable level,the RSSI can be deemed unacceptable for reliable communication based onthe level of signal strength as measured in between packet receptions(quiet times), based on the level of signal strength as measured duringpacket reception, or where the signal to noise ratio has improved orbeen reduced, a combination of signal strength as measured in betweenpacket receptions (quiet times) and as measured during packet reception.

For example, a station or programmer embodiment performs a channelmaintenance algorithm, and adjusts the RSSI threshold for receiving apacket based on the number of retransmissions attempts and the number ofchecksum errors counted since the last channel maintenance window. Ifthe number of errors and retry attempts indicate a packet error ratehigher than 12%, for example, the programmer monitors the channel'snoise floor to adjust the RSSI threshold.

Packet Length

Various embodiments of a wireless communication system with hearing aidnodes use various packet lengths based on channel quality metrics. Adecision metric is used to change packet lengths a wirelesscommunications channel employs for use with a hearing communicationdevice. Various embodiments employ shorter/longer packet lengths basedon one or more channel metrics to improve the link margin of the overallsystem. At any time during a communication session, the system maychange packet lengths based on channel metrics used to assess linkquality. If it is determined that the channel has a poor link quality,various embodiments shorten the packet length. If the channel's linkquality is good or has improved, various embodiments lengthen the packetlength to the extent permitted for the link quality.

Diverse (Spatial/Polarity) Antenna

Various embodiments of a wireless communication system with hearing aidnodes use diverse antenna(s), and change the diverse antenna(s) based onchannel quality metrics. For spatially-diverse antennas, the currentantenna can be switched with another antenna. For an antenna withdiverse polarities, the polarity of the antenna can be switched. Adecision metric is used to change/combine antennas used on a wirelesscommunications channel employed for use with a hearing communicationdevice.

In an indoor environment there are many sources of radio frequencyreflections that cause multi-path signal arrivals at the antenna thatmay cause fading of the channel which effect the bit error rate orpacket error rate of the system. Multi-path effects serve to enhance ordestroy the signal link between the programmer and the hearinginstrument. A diversity antenna system employing both polarization andspatial diversity can help to enhance the link. Even body shadows thatmay affect the main line of sight path may be mitigated by a randommulti-path reflection from the ceiling or nearby wall. By employing adiversity antenna, the system improves the chances of intercepting asignal from the ceiling, floor, or nearby wall that is not impaired bybody shadowing effects or even other interference.

Some embodiments choose on a per packet basis the best antenna to employbased on the best signal level or signal to noise ratio as measuredduring the preamble of the signal. Some embodiments demodulate thesignal from two or more receiver/antenna pairs and keep the packet withthe least errors or no errors. Some embodiments choose one of two ormore antennas based on channel metrics such as receive signal strength,packet checksum errors, packet forward error correction errors, packetretransmission attempts. If at any time during the communicationsession, the system changes antennas based on channel metrics used toassess link quality.

For example, various station/programmer embodiments perform a channelmaintenance algorithm. After the programmer tries to adapt the RSSIthreshold, the programmer switches, based on the assessed link quality,to the opposite polarity antenna to determine if a null due tomulti-path or undesirable antenna orientation can be mitigated usinganother antenna polarization or a spatially-diverse antenna. The switchcan be based on the number of retransmissions attempts and the number ofchecksum errors counted since the last channel maintenance window.Should the number of errors and retry attempts indicate a packet errorrate higher than 10%, for example, over the channel maintenance window,the programmer switches the antenna just prior to station maintenance.Some embodiments do not switch the antennas unless both nodes haveacknowledged recent station maintenance messages containing the samealternate channel information. This way if the link is lost followingdiversity antenna switching, the nodes will rendezvous on the alternatechannel together.

Transmission Frequency (Adaptive Frequency Hopping)

Various embodiments of a wireless communication system with hearing aidnodes adjust transmission frequencies based on channel metrics. This isreferred to as adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) or channel hopping. Somesystem embodiments use a secondary “look ahead” receiver to select adesirable channel that is not corrupted by interference. Some systemembodiments select a good channel using a primary receiver that timemultiplexes its task of communication with a remote device and lookingahead for a good channel within the bandwidth. Some system embodimentsuse a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis to simultaneously evaluateall potential narrow band channels for potential use by a primary narrowband transceiver. Some system embodiments use a FFT analysis to lookahead at all potential channels while simultaneously communicating witha narrow band remote transceiver.

At any time during the communication session, the system may changechannels based on channel metrics used to assess link quality for thecurrent channel and for available channels. Because of the low powernature of the remote transceivers and the availability of a limitedbandwidth resource, some embodiments use narrow band channels with timedivision multiple access and a listen before talk algorithm that allowfrequency reuse with various other services.

A secondary receiver monitors the usage of an unlicensed band to pick adesirable channel for communicating information to and/or from apower-limited device. A primary transceiver communicates with a remotedevice using narrow band channels using a modulation scheme sufficientto convey information to and/or from a remote device. The primaryreceiver picks a desirable channel to use based on a channel metricfound and stored by the secondary receiver that is continuously scanningthe entire available bandwidth looking for adequate channels forcommunication to the remote devices. The secondary receiver uses abandwidth that is substantially the same as the primary receiver so thata good assessment can be made of how that channel would perform whenused for communication by the primary receiver.

If the channel is corrupt then the primary receiver within the basestation will not be able to receive the remote signal and informationcannot be conveyed in the uplink. The down link transmission from thestation to the hearing aid does not have the same power restrictionssince the base unit has more power available and is restricted only bythe regulations governing the output power within the unlicensed band.Armed with this knowledge the base station unit can make certainassumptions about the downlink. For instance based on the link qualityassessment (LQA) made by the primary receiver or the secondary receiverit may or may not assume that the remote device can hear its signal. Inmost cases the downlink is robust enough to assume that a command can bereceived by the remote device even if the remote device cannotacknowledge its receipt. In this way the base station primarytransmitter can command the remote device to move or “hop” to adifferent channel within the unlicensed band determined by the LQA madeof all other possible channels within the unlicensed band by thesecondary receiver. Once the command is made to send the remote toanother viable channel the confirmation of the frequency change commandcan be made with the remote device on the new channel.

Various embodiments use a metric that involves both a peak and averagedetector. Channels that exhibit low peaks as well as low average valueswill show up as a high score and are a desirable channel for wirelesscommunication. Channels having high peaks but low averages may work wellfor a listen-before-talk time division multiple access system, and thusreceive a medium score. The system prefers to use a channel with a highscore, but can use a channel with a medium score. Channels occupied bycontinuous narrow band signals will have a high average receive signalstrength and would show up as a poor score. Several metrics can beformed using an assigned weight. Examples of metrics include:M_(chan)=W₁*RSSI_(avg)+W₂(RSSI_(peak)); andM_(chan)=(RSSI_(avg)+RSSI_(peak)) RSSI_(avg). A higher weight isassigned to the average received signal strength than to the peak sinceTime Division Multiplex (TDM) and Listen Before Talk (LBT) systems maybe able to be used.

For example, various station/programmer embodiments perform a channelmaintenance algorithm. After the programmer tries to adapt the RSSIthreshold and switch the antenna polarization, the programmer commandsthe hearing aid to channel hop to the next best channel taken from theLQA data of available channels. This channel hop is based on theassessed link quality (e.g., the number of retransmissions attempts andthe number of checksum errors counted since the last channel maintenancewindow). Should the number of errors and retry attempts indicate apacket error rate higher than 22%, for example, over the channelmaintenance window, the programmer can either command the hearinginstrument to change channels using a channel change message oralternatively stop sending channel maintenance messages which will forcethe node to change channels.

If a single node is lost (no longer responding to channel maintenancemessages), it can be assumed to have changed channels to the alternativechannel that was last acknowledged by the node during a previous channelmaintenance message. Because the nodes are vulnerable to falling out ofrange or being interfered with, various embodiments maintain the samealternate channel unless the alternate channel, based on current LQAinformation, is severely degraded from its initial quality assessment.

Receiver Gain in Hostile RF Environment

Some device embodiments are equipped with a secondary receiver that canbe employed to access the quality of the available channels. Accordingto some embodiments, this secondary receiver is also equipped to accessthe overall RF power in the band of operation. If the overall poweracross the band is above a certain threshold then the environment can beconsidered “hostile” for communications between devices. Someembodiments reduce the front end gain of the receiver to preventoverload. The reduced front end gain allows the communications link tobe maintained at a reduced range of operation. For example, a reducedfront end gain in some embodiments still allows communication over adistance on the order of 1.5 meters. Without this change in front endreceiver gain a hostile RF environment allows the receiver to becomeover-loaded by the hostile RF environment.

Various embodiments reduce one or more of the AGC_Gain, AGC_Max Gain orthe AGC_Search_Gain parameters of the receiver. Some embodimentsdetermine a LQA score for each available channel that is not currentlybeing used for communication, and then sums the LQA scores for all ofthese channels that are not currently being used. The United States, forexample, in one embodiment has 28 available channels. If one of thechannels is being used for communication, the LQA score of the remaining27 channels is summed and compared to a threshold. In anotherembodiment, four channels are available in the European Union. If one ofthe channels is being used in the European Union, the LQA score of theremaining 3 channels is summed and compared to a threshold. If the sumof the LQA scores exceeds a threshold for lowering gain, then thereceiver gain is lowered. Some embodiments lower the gain by oneincremental value (e.g., on the order of 4 dB from nominal gain). Thenominal gain for a band, such as within the United States, is determinedduring device calibration and is stored along with other bandinformation in non-volatile memory. In one embodiment the thresholdscore will be given by T*(N−1) where N is the number of channels beingscanned minus one (the channel in use). Where T will be the based on afactory calibration or a general metric of the compression point of thereceiver.

FIG. 14 illustrates a state diagram of an embodiment of a processperformed by a communicator to maintain link quality according to oneembodiment of the present subject matter. The normal operation occurs atstate 1465. During normal operation, the average noise, signal-to-noiseratio (SNR), and packet error rate (PER) are computed periodically. Theperiod of time in which certain variables are computed is known as a“channel maintenance interval”. At the conclusion of a channelmaintenance interval, some of the parameters are evaluated againstcorresponding thresholds such as PER and BER. If the PER is greater thanthe PER threshold, the station changes channels as illustrated at state1468. In some embodiments, if the PER is greater than the PER threshold,the station adjusts a diversity antenna switch as illustrated at state1467. In some embodiments, the station may first adjust the diversityantenna switch, re-evaluate the PER and then change channels if the PERis still greater than the PER threshold. If the SNR is less than the SNRthreshold, the station adjusts a diversity antenna switch as illustratedat state 1467. In the embodiment of FIG. 14, if the average noise is notequal to the RSSI threshold plus a margin, the control adapts the RSSIthreshold as illustrated at state 1466. IN some embodiments, if thepacket retry count exceeds a packet retry count threshold, the stationchanges channels as illustrated at state 1468.

Other embodiments assess the link quality using a different order. Stillother embodiments use different techniques to assess link quality, suchas based on signal strength, environmental noise strength, signal tonoise ratio, and retransmission counts. Various combinations of thedifferent means for assessing link quality can be used. The differentmethods for assessing link quality can be performed in a number ofdifferent orders. The state diagram illustrated in FIG. 14 is providedas an example. Additionally, the process illustrated in the statediagram of FIG. 14 can be implemented in a variety of devices, includingcommunicators and hearing assistance devices.

Bluetooth Low Energy Devices

Bluetooth low energy (BLE) is a distinguishing feature of Bluetoothversion 4.0 wireless communication technology that provides low-powerdevices with short-range low-power wireless connectivity. Examples ofsuch low-power devices include hearing assistance devices, such ashearing aids. Each device having wireless connectivity, as discussed inthis document, may be a device equipped with BLE-based communicationcapability (referred to as a “BLE device” herein). In other words, BLEtechnology may be implemented in each of the hearing assistance devices101A-D and the communicators 102A-D as illustrated in FIGS. 1A-D, thecommunicators 202 and 302, the programmer, the hearing assistancedevice, the assisted listening device, the streaming audio device, andthe wireless audio controller (WAC) as illustrated in FIGS. 2A-E and3A-E, the WAC 405 and the hearing assistance devices as illustrated inFIG. 4, the hearing aid device 510, the programmer 512, the assistedlistening systems 513, the device 541 that provides encoded andcompressed audio, the remote control device 515, and the other hearingaid 516 as illustrated in FIG. 5, the hearing aids 610 and programmer612 as illustrated in FIG. 6, the hearing aid 710 as illustrated in FIG.7, the communicator/programmer as illustrated in FIG. 8, and the hearingaids 910R-L and the communicator as illustrated in FIG. 9, among otherdevices discussed in this document. BLE communication may be performedbetween the BLE devices. Wireless test modes (also referred to as RFtest modes) are generated for design verification and manufacturing testwith such devices when implemented as BLE devices. Various embodimentsuse the same wireless test modes in the field to characterize anenvironment where problems occur with the BLE communication between suchdevices.

The Bluetooth protocol for low energy provides a test mode that requiresa wired human-computer interface (HCI) between a Bluetooth tester and aDevice Under Test (DUT). The wired HCI may include a cable connectingthe DUT to the Bluetooth tester. The present subject matter provideswireless test to the BLE protocol.

The BLE protocol includes Direct Test Modes which are normally used fortesting a physical layer link between a BLE device and a Bluetoothtester. These commands are normally accessed through a 2-wire UARTinterface, but they can also be accessed through HCI commands. Bluetoothdoes not support wireless test modes as part of the BLE.

The present subject matter provides BLE hearing assistance devices suchas hearing aids with wireless test modes. Various embodiments includeincludes one or more wireless test modes that do not require a wiredinterface such as the cable, thereby making the testing more efficientand enabling diagnostic testing in the field. Various embodimentsinclude such BLE wireless test capability built into a hearingassistance device such as hearing aid and/or a device communicating withthe hearing assistance device for the BLE protocol. In variousembodiments, devices with such built-in test capability are each capableof performing a self-test of wireless communication functionalities. Invarious embodiments, the wireless (RF) test modes include the DirectTest Modes, as referred to as Non Link test modes, which verifiesfunctionality of the physical layer link between a BLE DUT and a BLEtester.

FIG. 15 illustrates a block diagram of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) deviceembodiment. A system includes two or more BLE devices configured tocommunicate with each other using BLE wireless communication technology.The illustrated embodiment includes a first BLE device 1570 and a secondBLE device 1572 communicatively coupled to each other via a wirelesslink 1575. The BLE device 1570 includes a BLE wireless communicationcircuit 1571 configured to receive and transmit data using BLE wirelesscommunication technology. The BLE device 1572 includes a BLE tester 1573configured to wirelessly communicate with the BLE device 1570 and testthe BLE wireless communication circuit 1571 according to a wireless testmode in response to a test command associated with the wireless testmode. In various embodiments, the system can include any number ofdevices each including at least one of the BLE wireless communicationcircuit 1571 and the BLE tester 1573. In the illustrated embodiment, theBLE device 1572 includes an analysis initiator 1574 configured togenerate the test command in response to a signal requesting adiagnostic analysis of an environment of the wireless communication. Invarious embodiments, the signal requesting the diagnostic analysis maybe originated from a user or a device. In various embodiments, at leastone of the BLE device 1570 and the BLE device 1572 is a hearing aid.

In various embodiments, the link quality management device (LQM) asillustrated in FIGS. 1B-D includes a BLE tester capable of performingtests under the wireless test mode, such as the BLE tester 1573. EachBLE device discussed in this document, including each hearing assistancedevice, hearing aid, communicator, programmer, assisted listeningdevice, streaming audio device, WAC, device that provides encoded andcompressed audio, remote control device, may be configured to includethe built-in BLE wireless test capability, i.e., configured to be one ofthe BLE devices 1570 and 1572 as discussed in this document or similardevices. In various embodiments, each of these devices may be configuredto function as a device under test and/or a tester operating under theBLE wireless test mode.

The BLE tester 1573 represents an embodiment of the link qualitymanagement device (LQM) as illustrated in FIGS. 1B-D. In variousembodiments, the BLE tester 1573 is configured to assess a link qualityfor the wireless communication channel between the BLE tester 1573 andthe BLE wireless communication circuit 1571 and provide channel metricsindicative of the assessed quality for the wireless communicationchannel. In various embodiments, the BLE tester 1573 is furtherconfigured to adjust wireless communication over the wirelesscommunication channel using the channel metrics for the wirelesscommunication channel.

The BLE tester 1573 produces at least one metric indicative of qualityof data transmission performed via the wireless link 1575 using the BLEwireless communication circuit 1571. In various embodiments, thewireless link 1575 includes a plurality of wireless communicationchannels, and the BLE tester 1573 produces at least one channel metricindicative of quality of data transmission performed via each channel ofthe plurality of wireless communication channels using the BLE wirelesscommunication circuit 1571. Examples of channel metric include bit errorrate (BER), packet error rate (PER), cyclic redundancy check (CRC)errors, forward error correction (FEC) errors, signal to noise ratio(SNR), number of retransmissions, and Receive Signal Strength Indicator(RSSI). In one embodiment, the BLE tester 1573 produces a channel mapindicative of quality of data transmission using each channel of theplurality of wireless communication channels.

FIG. 16 illustrates a block diagram of BLE hearing aid embodiment inwhich the BLE device 1570 is a hearing aid 1670 and the BLE device 1572is a communicator/programmer 1672. The hearing aid 1670 isbattery-operated and includes at least a microphone, a receiver, andsignal processing circuitry, in addition to the BLE wirelesscommunication circuit 1571. In various embodiments, any hearing aiddevices discussed in this document, including but not limited to thehearing aids 510, 610, 710, and 910R-L, may be implemented as the BLEhearing aid 1670.

The communicator/programmer 1672 is configured to communicate withhearing aid 1672 via wireless link 1575. In various embodiments, thecommunicator/programmer 1672 may include a communicator that is capableof testing and diagnosing performance of data transmission over thewireless link 1575 and/or a programmer that is capable of adjustingsettings of the hearing aid 1672 including parameters controlling theoperation of the BLE wireless communication circuit 1571. In variousembodiments, any communicator/programmer devices discussed in thisdocument, including but not limited to the communicators 102A-D, 202,and 302 and the programmer 512, may be implemented as the BLEcommunicator/programmer 1672.

FIG. 17 illustrates a block diagram of BLE device embodiment including aBLE device 1772 that includes the BLE tester 1573. The BLE device 1772represents an embodiment of the BLE device 1572 or thecommunicator/programmer 1672 and includes the BLE tester 1573, theanalysis initiator 1574, optionally an analysis timer 1780, and a userinterface 1781. The user interface 1781 may include a user input device1782 and a presentation device 1783.

In one embodiment, the analysis initiator 1574 is configured to generatethe test command in response to a request of a user who wants to invokea BLE wireless test mode as a diagnostics tool for analyzing allchannels in a troubled office environment. The user input device 1782 isconfigured to receive the signal requesting the diagnostic analysis ofthe environment of the wireless communication from the user. In oneembodiment, the analysis initiator 1574 is configured to generate thetest command in response to a request generated by a device thatautomatically determines a need to invoke the BLE wireless test mode.

In one embodiment, the analysis initiator 1574 is configured to generatethe test mode according to a specified schedule, such as on a periodicbasis. The analysis timer 1780 times the specified schedule, such as aspecified period, and transmits the signal requesting the diagnosticanalysis of the environment of the wireless communication to theanalysis initiator as scheduled. This provides for active analysis ofthe environment. The result of the active analysis may include a list ofavailable channels for the data transmission over the wireless link1575. In one embodiment, the analysis initiator 1574 generates the testcommand based on the specified schedule as well as the operation statusof the wireless communication circuit 1571. For example, the analysisinitiator 1574 may generate the test command only when the wirelesscommunication circuit 1571 is not receiving or transmitting data, suchas when the hearing aid 1672 is in an idle state.

In response to the test command, the BLE tester 1573 performs ananalysis including one or more wireless test modes. The outcome of theanalysis may include the channel metrics and/or the channel map. Invarious embodiments, portions of the outcome of the analysis, such asselected channel metrics and the channel map, are presented using thepresentation device 1783. In various embodiments, the outcome of theanalysis may be used to enable or disable each channel of the pluralityof wireless channels on the wireless link 1575 and/or provides clues tothe user, such as a technical support specialist, as to why the user isunable to achieve the throughput or connections as specified by thehearing aid manufacturer.

Examples of the test command include a Transmitter Test command and aReceiver Test commands. These commands enable the device to transmit orreceive test packets of a specified length with a specified modulationon a specified channel. The Receiver Test command returns the number ofpackets received during the burst of packets transmitted in response tothe Transmitter Test command. An estimation of the number of packetstransmitted can be done by using timers to control the length of timethe base unit sends packets. The transmitter test commands results inone packet being sent every 625 μs. The BLE tester can calculate anapproximate packet error rate (PER) from these values.

Examples of the test command also include a Get RSSI command associatedwith a Get RSSI mode. A Get Channel Map command associated with a GetChannel Map mode, and a Set Channel Map command associated with a SetChannel Map mode. The Get RSSI mode functions (in obtaining the channelmetrics) when a valid packet is received. If interference exists in thewireless communication environment causing packets to be missed on agiven channel, the Get RSSI command will return a value of “0” for thatchannel.

The Get Channel map mode is responded with a current channel map for thewireless communication environment. If adaptive frequency hopping (AFH)is employed, channels that are interfered with are removed from thechannel map by the AFH algorithm. The Set Channel Map mode allows theuser to enable, or disable channels independent of AFH.

Various wireless test modes for testing a BLE based hearing aid havebeen tested using a personal computer and/or another device configuredto wirelessly communicate with the hearing aid and function as the BLEtester. In various embodiments, the test command may be associated withone or more of these wireless test modes. In the following examples(1-6) of the wireless test modes, “the PC” refers to the personalcomputer and/or the other device, and “the HA” refers to the hearing aidunder test. The Examples include:

-   -   1) Continuous packet transmit mode. The HA transmits packets        with pseudo random data over the BLE channels, to be used by the        PC for RF characterization.    -   2) Downlink PER test mode. The PC transmits bursts of data. The        HA receives the bursts of data and calculates PER.    -   3) Uplink PER test mode. The HA transmits bursts of data. The PC        receives the bursts of data and calculates PER.    -   4) Echo packet mode. The PC transmits a packet. The HA echoes        the packet. The HA retransmits the packet. The PC receives the        echoed packet and calculates PER.    -   5) Antenna test profile model. The HA transmits an unmodulated        carrier signal. The PC detects the transmitted signal.    -   6) RSSI test mode. The HA has ability to report RSSI. The PC        sets up connection with the HA and transmits “send RSSI packet”.        The HA receives “send RSSI packet” and calculates RSSI for        received packet. The HA then sends packet with received RSSI        value and channel number. The PC iterates on next channel in        sequence. This process repeats for user a specified number of        channels.

These example wireless test modes may be used for the BLE wirelesscommunication as well as wireless communication in general, includingcommunications over the wireless links discussed in this document. Invarious embodiments, the wireless test modes can also aid manufacturingtest, especially when wireless testing is not supported in aconventional communication protocol, such as with the BLE protocol.

FIG. 18 illustrates an embodiment of a method for managing a BLEwireless communication link. In one embodiment, the method is performedusing the BLE tester 1573, with a device including the wirelesscommunication circuit 1571 as the DUT. In various embodiments, thedevice includes a hearing aid.

At 1885, wireless communication is performed with the hearing aid usingBLE wireless communication technology. At 1886, a diagnostic analysis ofan environment of the wireless communication is performed. Variousembodiments of the diagnostic analysis use one or more of the wirelesstest modes discussed in this document, including the wireless test modesaccording to which the BLE tester 1573 performs a test in response tothe test command. In one embodiment, the diagnostic analysis isperformed in response to a request from a user, such as when the userencounters difficulty in communicating with the hearing aid. In anotherembodiment, the diagnostic analysis is performed according to aspecified schedule, such as on a periodic basis to actively assess theenvironment of the wireless communication.

FIG. 19 illustrates an embodiment of a method for performing thediagnostic analysis. At 1990, a wireless link is established between thehearing aid and the BLE tester for the diagnostic analysis. At 1991, thehearing aid is tested for quality of data transmission associated withthe wireless link according to a specified wireless test mode. At 1992,information indicative of one or more characteristics of the environmentof the wireless communication is produced. In various embodiments, theinformation includes at least one channel metric for each channel of aplurality of wireless communication channels. The channel metric isindicative of quality of data transmission performed using each channel.Examples of the channel metric include BER, PER, CRC errors, FEC errors,SNR, number of retransmissions, and RSSI. In various embodiments, theinformation may also include a channel map indicative of quality of datatransmission using each channel of the plurality of wirelesscommunication channels. In various further embodiments, the hearing aidis reprogrammed for adjusting the settings related to the wirelesscommunication using the channel metrics and/or the channel map.

In various embodiments, the circuit of each device discussed in thisdocument, including each circuit of various elements of the BLE devices1570 and 1572 as discussed in this document, is implemented usinghardware, software, firmware or a combination of hardware, softwareand/or firmware. In various embodiments, the BLE tester 1571 may beimplemented using one or more circuits specifically constructed toperform one or more functions discussed in this document or one or moregeneral-purpose circuits programmed to perform such one or morefunctions. Examples of such general-purpose circuit can include amicroprocessor or a portion thereof, a microcontroller or portionsthereof, and a programmable logic circuit or a portion thereof.

The present subject matter is demonstrated for hearing assistancedevices, including hearing aids, including but not limited to,behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC),receiver-in-canal (RIC), or completely-in-the-canal (CIC) type hearingaids. It is understood that behind-the-ear type hearing aids may includedevices that reside substantially behind the ear or over the ear. Suchdevices may include hearing aids with receivers associated with theelectronics portion of the behind-the-ear device, or hearing aids of thetype having receivers in the ear canal of the user, including but notlimited to receiver-in-canal (RIC) or receiver-in-the-ear (RITE)designs. The present subject matter can also be used in hearingassistance devices generally, such as cochlear implant type hearingdevices. It is understood that other hearing assistance devices notexpressly stated herein may be used in conjunction with the presentsubject matter.

One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that, the modules andother circuitry shown and described herein can be implemented usingsoftware, hardware, and combinations of software and hardware. As such,the terms module and circuitry, for example, are intended to encompasssoftware implementations, hardware implementations, and software andhardware implementations.

The methods illustrated in this disclosure are not intended to beexclusive of other methods within the scope of the present subjectmatter. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand, upon readingand comprehending this disclosure, other methods within the scope of thepresent subject matter. The above-identified embodiments, and portionsof the illustrated embodiments, are not necessarily mutually exclusive.These embodiments, or portions thereof, can be combined. In variousembodiments, the methods are implemented using a data signal embodied ina carrier wave or propagated signal, that represents a sequence ofinstructions which, when executed by one or more processors cause theprocessor(s) to perform the respective method. In various embodiments,the methods are implemented as a set of instructions contained on acomputer-accessible medium capable of directing a processor to performthe respective method. In various embodiments, the medium is a magneticmedium, an electronic medium, or an optical medium.

The above detailed description is intended to be illustrative, and notrestrictive. Other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reading and understanding the above description. The scope ofthe invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to theappended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which suchclaims are entitled.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for communicating with a hearing aid,comprising: a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tester circuit configured tocommunicate with the hearing aid via a wireless link including aplurality of wireless communication channels using BLE wirelesscommunication technology and to produce a channel metric for eachchannel of the plurality of wireless communication channels under awireless test mode, the channel metric for each channel indicative ofquality of data transmission performed through that channel; and ananalysis initiator circuit coupled to the BLE tester circuit andconfigured to initiate the wireless test mode.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein the BLE tester circuit is configured to enable or disable eachchannel of the plurality of wireless communication channels based on thechannel metric produced for that channel.
 3. The system of claim 2,further comprising a user input device configured to receive a signal,and wherein the analysis initiator circuit is configured to initiate thewireless test mode in response to the received signal.
 4. The system ofclaim 2, wherein the analysis initiator circuit is configured toinitiate the wireless test mode based on a specified schedule and anoperation status of the hearing aid.
 5. The system of claim 2,comprising: a programmer; and a communicator connected to, integratedwith, or built within the programmer, the communicator including the BLEtester circuit and the analysis initiator circuit.
 6. The system ofclaim 2, comprising: a hearing assistance device; and a communicatorconnected to, integrated with, or built within the hearing assistancedevice, the communicator including the BLE tester circuit and theanalysis initiator circuit.
 7. The system of claim 2, comprising: anassisted listening device; and a communicator connected to, integratedwith, or built within the assisted listening device, the communicatorincluding the BLE tester circuit and the analysis initiator circuit. 8.The system of claim 2, comprising: a steaming audio device; and acommunicator connected to, integrated with, or built within the steamingaudio device, the communicator including the BLE tester circuit and theanalysis initiator circuit.
 9. The system of claim 2, comprising: awireless audio controller; and a communicator connected to, integratedwith, or built within the wireless audio controller, the communicatorincluding the BLE tester circuit and the analysis initiator circuit. 10.The system of claim 1, wherein the BLE tester circuit is configured toproduce a channel map using the produced channel metrics, the channelmap indicative of one or more channels of the plurality of wirelesscommunication channels available for communicating with the hearing aidvia the wireless link.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the BLE testercircuit is configured to produce at least one of a bit error rate, apacket error rate, indication of cyclic redundancy check errors,indication of forward error correction errors, a signal to noise ratio,a number of retransmissions, or a receive signal strength indicator asthe channel metric for each channel of the plurality of wirelesscommunication channels.
 12. A method for communicating with a hearingaid, comprising: establishing communication between the hearing aid anda Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tester via a wireless link using BLEwireless communication technology; performing communication between thehearing aid and the BLE tester via each channel of a plurality ofwireless communication channels of the wireless link; initiating a testof the hearing aid using the BLE tester according to a wireless testmode; and producing channel metrics using the BLE tester under thewireless test mode, the channel metrics each indicative of quality ofdata transmission performed through a channel of the plurality ofwireless communication channels.
 13. The method of claim 12, furthercomprising adjusting settings of the hearing aid using the producedchannel metrics.
 14. The method of claim 12, further comprisingproducing a channel map using the produced channel metrics, the channelmap indicative of one or more channels of the plurality of wirelesscommunication channels available for communicating with the hearing aidvia the wireless link.
 15. The method of claim 14, further comprisingenabling or disabling each channel of the plurality of wirelesscommunication channels for performing the wireless communication basedon the produced channel map.
 16. The method of claim 12, whereinproducing the channel metrics comprises producing at least one of a biterror rate, a packet error rate, indication of cyclic redundancy checkerrors, indication of forward error correction errors, a signal to noiseratio, a number of retransmissions, or a receive signal strengthindicator for each channel of the multiple channels.
 17. The method ofclaim 16, wherein producing the channel metrics comprises producing thepacket error rate.
 18. The method of claim 16, wherein producing thechannel metrics comprises producing a received signal strengthindicator.
 19. The method of claim 12, wherein initiating the test ofthe hearing aid comprises initiating the test of the hearing aid inresponse to a signal received from a user.
 20. The method of claim 12,wherein initiating the test of the hearing aid comprises initiating thetest of the hearing aid in response to a signal generated by a device.